I use about 8 water changes with rotary agitation to both types of films, I then put a slow running hose in to the tank neck but only fairly briefly.
The whole process taking about 10 minutes.
Is the above any good?
I hand wash B & W prints and RA4 under a tempered water supply with a light cloth rub to remove the surface Blix of fixer. I then put in to a tank of about 2 gallon capacity with an agitation pump which moves the water vigourously. Prints remain in this second tank for 4 to 10 mins depending on darkroom load and activity.
I then hand wash under tempered water for another 20 to 30 seconds. I put RA4 prints in to a print stabilizer brightener for 20 to 120 secs.
Q, Is this any good?
Q, Does print brightener stabilizer work for B& W prints?
I know my method is a bit hap hazard as I carry out these washing and water changing activities while waiting for the next print to emerge from the Printo or fix bath. I have never seen fading on any of my prints or films since I started home developing 10 years ago but who am I to say this is Archival when Kodak claims 80 year stability for Endura papers and B & W prints should have a massive lifespan?

The lab at my school uses those hoses that connect to the bottom of a dedicated washing cylinder for film; the cylinders are advertised to completely change the water 3-4 times a minute; we run them for five minutes. Maybe this is a sophomoric assumption, but I figured that as long as there are 15-20 total changes of water, I'd be good. What I currently do, then, when using a inversion tank to develop film is:

I empty the tank of fixer

I fill the tank up completely with water once and dump it

I fill the tank up with water to just barely cover the developing reels and dump it

I repeat the "fill to the reels" step 15 times

I repeat the "fill to the reels" step twice more with distilled water

I remove the film from the reels and hang to dry

Does this method sound plausible? I've read through this thread and, while there's lots of interesting discussions of chemistry, I couldn't apply it to my method. I figure (guess) that this method should be at least as effective as the Illford method.

Maybe this is a sophomoric assumption, but I figured that
as long as there are 15-20 total changes of water, I'd be
good. What I currently do, then, when using a inversion
tank to develop film is:

I empty the tank of fixer - I fill the tank up completely
with water once and dump it - I fill the tank up with
water to just barely cover the developing reels and
dump it - I repeat the "fill to the reels" step 15
times - I repeat the "fill to the reels" step -
twice more with distilled water

Unbelievable. Extremely wasteful of water and time.
I suggest you and the lab adopt the Ilford sequence
or something similar for a wash routine.

I perform the sequence somewhat leisurely allowing
more time for the chemistry to diffuse outwardly.
So little water is used that room temperature
distilled does the job.

Same for prints; still water soaks with print
separators saves a Lot of water. Dan

I'm another that use the Ilford method. I haven't had any issues since switching to this method, as opposed to a continuos flow. I found the key to the method, as outlined above, is to let the water sit for five to ten minutes between agitations. First cycle is about seven agitations, second about fifteen, and the third is around twenty five. The biggest concern that I have is dust.

You cannot waste water - it will always flow to the sea unless evaporated into the atmosphere. What you can do is send it through your darkroom before it makes its way. A five minute rinse in the Jobo tank and then in distilled water with a wetting agent for roll films. Equivalent for sheet films in their trays. Prints: fill the bathtub one third and put your prints in. Shuffle them from time to time. I do this over a couple of hours -- but I don't hang around the bathroom -- just check in and shuffle from time to time. I've fiber based prints made over 20 years ago and they've held up just fine.